On 2nd February 2012 the first ever Architecture Corporate Foresight conference (short: ACFX), is scheduled to take place, with high-profile contributors, in the mountains above Ischgl. Members of the elite fields of architecture, communication and design are set to meet at this Architecture Corporate Foresight conference, the idea for which originated with Andreas Pfetsch, managing director of ap35 GmbH. Trends and developments, and the impact of the digital world and the world of media will be discussed. This conference will provide a platform for the interdisciplinary exchange of technology and ideas, and can hence be classed as unique. Renowned speakers have been contacted, many of whom have already confirmed their participation. These include: Bjarke Ingels, founder of the BIG Group; Lidweij Edelkoort, world-famous trend researcher, Assaf Biderman, Associated Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jürgen Mayer H., Jürgen Mayer H. architects; Dr. Alexander Rieck from the Fraunhofer Institute IAO; Steve Rogers, Director UX EMEA and Emerging Markets / Google; and Sebastian Raßmann from Trendone.

ACFX - the name embraces themes which offer a glimpse into the future. Lectures and discussions on megacities and their development, on trend research with regard to communication, on design, working environments and buildings, the creativity of innovative start-ups and on future lifestyles with regard to travel, work and the home will give insights into the paradigm shift in the field of architecture - one which is imminent and unavoidable in the light of innovative networking technology. The ACFX conference is organised by ap35 GmbH, an architecture management and relationship marketing agency based in Ulm / Germany.

In a galaxy far, far, away……NO! The future is NOW! Our world is fast-paced. Much - including architecture - is changing with breath-taking speed, and rarely do we anticipate in which direction trends and developments will turn. This first ACFX conference offers an opportunity to profit from the knowledge and work of experts and eminent authorities, to talk with them and look to the future together. A wide range of subjects will be covered by this conference: from megacities and trend research to start-up ideas and future home, life and work trends. Furthermore, the conference aims to show how the internet and the digital world can be put to optimal use and integrated into strategies. To date, these channels have rarely been made use of in architecture, even though they open up a whole realm of possibilities.

MEGACITIES | URBAN ENVIRONMENT How do cities develop in relation to exploding populations? What will happen in the future to the city centres of today? Will they remain in place - or will they have to go? What will the infrastructure look like? Lectures by Assaf Biderman on the subject of the development and spread of megacities, by Dr. Wolfgang Keßling, who explores the climatic aspects, techniques and geographical environments of contemporary building, and by Jürgen Mayer H., winner of the Audi Urban Future Awards, will offer answers to these questions.

TREND RESEARCH What will the architectural trends of the future look like? Which materials will be implemented? Will I be able to operate my computer telepathically - or maybe even use apps to market my products more successfully? Such questions will be answered by Lidewij Edelkoort (among others), a world renown trend researcher. Li Edelkoort produces trend books which - boasting forecasts for two years – are used as design tools by strategists, designers and those responsible for marketing international brands. In addition, Sebastian Raßmann from Trendone will be showing how brands can be communicated to consumers at lightning speed using various channels. Robert Miles Kemp, president of Variate Labs, will present examples of his interactive architecture and show just how futuristic his daily routine already is.

START UPS Networks are the key to success. Frederike Vos demonstrates just this with ‘The Hub’, an office concept which she co-developed and which is already to be found on every continent in a total of 28 cities: the world as a workplace. And then there’s Florian Gschwandtner, who will be presenting his fitness platform ‘runtastic’ and the potential of an app: how to motivate his platform users to actively shape and improve his own product. Gschwandtner tells us how it’s done.

FUTURE WORKING & LIVING The final block will be headed by experts who grapple with the homes, life and work of the future. These include Bjarke Ingels, who gets to grips with the evolution of architecture with methods, processes and tools, and Dr. Alexander Rieck from the Fraunhofer Institute, who has not only developed the hotel room of the future, but who also regards the working world of the 21st century as a hot topic. Plus Steve Rogers, Director UX EMEA and Emerging Markets / Google, who’ll be lecturing on the orientation of the internet and all the potential this boasts.

The conference invites participants to discover more about architectural trends and urban developments, and about new ideas and the potential of the digital world.

To find out more about the individual speakers, the programme and event partners or to register, please see www.acf-conference.com